Biomarkers of Environmental Pollution
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Date
2013-03-14
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Abstract
The threat to our environment due to human activity continues as the need for increased agricultural and industrial output continues. Agrochemicals currently used include pesticides such as organochlorines, organophosphates (OP's), neonicotinoids and pyrethroids. Industrial activity continues to generate an increasing diversity and volume of chemicals, such as PCB's and dioxins, that find their way into our natural and manmade water bodies. Metals such as lead, chromium and cadmium are either mined or are discharged as by-products of human activity. When used safely or disposed of properly these compounds are not always hazardous. However, their improper disposal or use poses a hazard to the health of humans, wildlife and the ecosystem as a whole. They are known to cause a variety of toxic effects such as genetic damage, organ toxicity and several physiological changes such as endocrine disruption. There is.a need to identify such toxic compounds and also to monitor their presence particularly in water bodies of Southern Africa where freshwater is scarce. Some of the methods, currently available to detect such toxins, include the measurement of parameters such as esterase activity (or its inhibition) for OP's, the extent of DNA damage (using the COMET assay) and induction/inhibition of detoxication enzymes (cytochrome P-450, glutathione S-transferase, antioxidant enzymes etc.) and induction of vitellogin synthesis (in fish). However, all these methods are not reliable or sufficiently sensitive. A summary of the data presented in the literature as well as that generated in our own laboratory will be presented.
Description
Presented at the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Society Conference held at the University of Zimbabwe in October 2002
Keywords
Pollution, Environment, Toxins, Waste Disposal